Switch controlled by bars actuated in various combinations



o m 1 m m 3 T X 6 m 32 1 B w 2 L m. m B 2 April 28, 1953 e x. LENS SWITCH CONTROLLED BY BARS ACTUATED IN VARIOUS COMBINATIONS Filed Decv 14, 1950 Inventor 6503655 X. 1. EN5

e x. LENS 2,636,398 SWITCH CONTROLLED BY BARS ACTUATED IN VARIOUS COMBINATIONS Filed Dec. 14, 1950 M Attorney 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 April 28, 1953 Patented Apr. 28, 1953 SWITCH CONTROLLED BY BARS ACTUATED IN VARIOUS COIVIBINATIONS Georges Xavier Lens, Antwerp, Belgium, assignor to International Standard Electric Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application December 14, 1950, Serial No. 200,817

In Belgium January 17, 1950 7 Claims.

The present invention relates to switche con-j trolled by bars actuated in various combinations,"

hereafter designated as code bar switches and which can-{be used, for instance, in telephone systems. Its object is to realize a switch of this type occup ing the minimum amount of space which is allowed for a satisfactory performance and utilizing economical, reliable and easily manufactured components.

A featured the invention resides in a code bar switch comprising a set of parallel code bars and a set of selection levers, the latter arranged perpendicularlyto the former and such that they can pivot about a line perpendicular to the code bars.

Another feature of the invention resides in the fact that each selection lever comprises two main parts, both perpendicular to the code bars, the first being pivoted at both ends in a fixed part,

to provide fulcrums for the selection levers, the

second being made integral with the first by means of a bridged part, and being provided at both ends with two actuating arms which may actuate any desired mechanism such, for instance, as a two-position device.

Yet another feature of the invention resides in said bridgedpart comprising two rigid arms joining said first'and second main parts, and bent in such a way that they are interleaved in the narrow spaces 'which remain between the parallel code bars, so as to limit the volume of the complete arrangement. Yet another feature of the invention resides in the fact that each of said selection levers'lincluding said'bridged part can be cut from i fiat plate and that they have all the same shape and dimensionsgfsaid arms pertaining to said bridged part being bent perpendicularly to said flat plate either in one sense or in the other, in order to obtain two kinds of selection'levers which can be intermeshed so as to. limit the space occupied by the complete arrangement.

Code bar switches are well known. They generally comprise a set of so-called code bars which are located parallel to one another and which are all provided with slots, or openings, or lugs, etc'., at various points along their length, so that=for particular positions of the code bars, which can all be shifted along their length, at one partic-- ular pointythe said slots, 0r openings, or lugs,

each code-bar can occupy is denoted by p, the

total number of combinations c which can be obtained, or the total number of different a'ctuating parts which can be operated in response to various combinations, will be given by 0:12". Accordingly, the number of combinations can be very large for a small number of code bars. In most cases, however, the code bars willbe operated by magnets and accordingly, 3, binary scale with p=2 will be used.

It should be realized that the use of switches and more particularly multi-switches operated on the code bar principle, can be very valuable indeed, in telephone systems wherein numbers are frequently signalled in som form of binary scale or other scales which are different from the decimal scale. Accordingly, the use of a code bar switch operated on the same scale as that which is used for electrical signalling will make some translations from one scale to another unnecessary.

Other features and objects of the present invention will appear from the following description of an embodiment, given as a non-limitative example, with reference to the appended drawings which represent:

Fig. 1, a plan view of the code bar arrangement;

Fig. 2, a side view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a cross-sectional side view of Fig. 1 along the line :ca:;

Fig. 4, a cross-sectional side view of Fig. 1 along the line :c-x, a particular combination of code bars having been actuated resulting in the operation of a particular lever;

Fig. 5, a cross-sectional end view of Fig. 1, along the line y-y';

Fig. 6, a cross-sectional end view of the line z--z. The code bar arrangement which is shown in the variou figures utilizes'five code bars which can each occupy two different positions in accordance with the electrical condition of the magnet (not shown) controlling each code bar. Accordingly, thirty-two combinations are possible and a number of selection levers equal to or less than thirty-two can be used.

Referring toFig. l, a frame I having a U- shaped cross section is shown. At regular intervals along its length, the bottom part of the frame I is out along a line perpendicular to its length and also along two lines parallel to its length along both vertical sides, in order to obtain a small rectangular part such as 2 which can be bent upwards along a plane perpendiculartothe bottom part of the frame. This rectangular part is provided with a series of five slots such as 3, l.

Fig. -1 along responding with lugs '5 and 5? and the code it will be seen that each of the codejhars 8,9;

in, H and i2 is provided with a series of slots 14 38 such as l3, the-shap f which can be seen more clearly on Figs. 3 and 4.. These slots such as it have substantially the shape of aright angle trapezium.

A series of selection levers such as 39 are. pie-. 1 ,1 vided, each comprising two parts such asst and" M which are both perpendicular to the: code bar.

such as 8 and which are united by a bridged part "com rising two armssuch as t2 and. lhwhich have been so as to be perpendicular-to the planercontainingthe parts such iii and l-i,

and which are inserted between the various code 'barsso-asto reduce the space taken by. thecom;

p'lete'mechanism, e. g., arm- 52 is insertedbetween code bars iii and i l and arm 43 is inserted hetween code bar Send one vertical side of the frame 1. It will be seen that the part ll of the selection :lever 39 is further provided with two symmetrical arms: M: and that both ends. The ends of both the arms :34 and 3.5 are bent, in order to-provide actuating parts .tfijand Ailwhich can operate any desired mechanism such; for instance, as a twe position device.'"'l?he. ends-ofthe part ll are further-provided with small holes 48 and 49 in which two springs 5i! and-5i are attached.- The other "ends of. these. spn'ngstii and 5!; are held in holes such. as 52 provided in L-shaped ieces 53 and 55 which are secured to the frame 1. right-hand portionhd of the part M has-been bent" perpendicularly... to. the planeof Fig. 1 and can be seen moreciearly on Figs. '3 and:4.-

The ends of the part or the selection lever 39 have been provided with. two lugs-55, and 57 .ivhich are 'inserted'in small rectangular openings provided in the vertical .sides. ofthe.-'L-shaped pieces 53 and 5%. 'Slotssuch as 58 andlillhave also been cut in the vertical-sides oi. the frames! to permit the insertion ofzthe lugsv 56. and 5T. It. will beiappl-eciatedthat the leyers'suchias '35; are '50 shaped and so designed-that. they can be intermeshed between one another in a: horizon- .tal'plane so toiuse a minimumamount of space. Also, all the levers have the same shape'wh'ichlis obviously of very great advantage. from a production point of view. In order to obtain the desired .intermeshing between the selection levers themselves and also'between thearmssuch-as s2 and is. and the various code bars 8 l2; it lei-merely "necessary that. the arms such; as $2. and is should 'b'e'bentperpendicularly to the main plane of the levers, either in one sense'or the other, e. g. levers 39 and 5! are completely identical as shown on Fig. 1 and lever 3?! only "diners fro'm leve'r to by.

the sense in which-thesarms' such asx'c-Z and; 43

bent."

- "Considering'the various selection levers such as ill which are pivoted by means. of their lugs such as 58 and'fil it' will be seen that the bent part 55 :of: selection lever 39. is normally resting-atleast 'oi1:one:"o.f. the code bars such as a: (Fig 3'=).-.':'- In z-fa'ct, forall the selection levers such as 39 which have been shown, only oneicodebar is used "as .a ,resting-pointior the, part. suchas 55;. This is,

The midd e of course, solely dependent upon the particular combination of operated and non-operated code bars, which is necessary to actuate one particular lever, but it will be recognized that for all selection levers such as 39, including those not shown on. the drawing at least three resting points are providedwhen the lever is not actuated, e. g. for

lever 33, the two small rectangular openings corfla. Considering nowthe operation of mechanism, it will be assumed that it is desired to actuate selection lever- 39. Since the bent part 55 of the springs 53 ended in the slots 18, 23, 28, and 33 respectivelm-provided in the code bars 9, I9, I!

' and 82, the particular combination which is necbar fl must be "operatedin the direction of the arrow f1 (Fig. .4) While-the remaining bars 9.13, H and-i2 remain inthe position shown. Assoon as the code hardis pushedin the diatom-er .the arrow f1, slot 13 willwcome underneaththe bent part 55, and, as shown on-Eig. i, all-the slots 13,; i8, 23, 2% and 33 will be in alignment; and accordinglmboth the springs and 5i will pull the selection lever 39 downwardsand part will slide down the inclined surface of the right angle trapezium it under the-tension of the aforeinen tioned springs The latter. will rotate clockwise into small recta-ngular openings provided in the L-shaped parts Ell-and 5t and the bent part 55 will be arrested at the bottom of the five slots .13, id, 23, ad-and t3; v---'I'he arrnst-t anode-oi the selectionlever will also be rotated and accord inglythe bent er-ids lli and l? of these-arms-will travel along a distancewhich is suff cient to operate any desired mechanism, which, lop-instance, may compriseany known two-position device (not shown) Upon retraction oranactuated code bar, the bent part 55 of an actuated selection lever 33' operates in reverse direction due toits travel up the inclined surface of the right angle trapezium; iS-to-assmne its original positionas will be obvious. from. an--- examination;v of l 'igs fi,

It willbe understood that if any pfjtheother coded bars"! 33 are moved, and; the-necess ry iveresscnd ne s ots in l nment, that the same action will take-place.- 1

The operation of the other leversshown-on the figure; as well ,as those not shown,.-wil1-procced alon similar :lines,.x=the-- combinations; "for? the remaining: fourdevers shown; e. .66, fii,"fi2fand 53,: being: respectively: 0100c 1(codeba'r- 3 char- 'ated).,:0il100 (code bar l9 operated), 60010 (code bar ii" operatedhand- 09091 "(code barriii'opervariouscode bars are. guided in the bent-part2 of the frame I.

Referring now to--Fig.- 6, this shows the manner inpwhichthe various Scode. bars are further guided along their le th;- Due. to the interleaving of the arms such as it and 43 between the various code bars and the vertical sides of the frame i, it is not possible to provide a guiding bent piece such as 2 at intermediate points along the length of the code bars. As can be seen from Fig. 6 as well as from Fig. l, at intermediate points, prongs such as 59 and ill have been cut in the bottom part of the frame i and bent upwards in a vertical plane. On the other hand, a second set of prongs such as 7!, i2, 73 and '54 have also been cut and bent in a similar manner but are aligned at a certain distance from the first two prongs 89 and Iii. This staggering permits the insertion of the arms such as 42 and 43 pertaining to the selection levers (not shown) which immediately follow selection lever 63.

These staggered prongs such as 69 will provide adequate guidance for the code bars e. g. code bar 8 is guided between prong 69 and prong 1!, code bar 9 is guided between prong H and prong it etc. Pins i5 and 16 located perpendicularly to the various code bars are used to support them.

It will be readily recognized that although the embodiment shown refers to a set of five code bars which can each be placed in two different positions, the principles of the present invention can also be applied to a code bar arrangement in which a different number of code bars are provided, each being able to occupy two or more difierent positions.

While the principles of this invention have been described above in connection with specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood that this description has only been made by way of example and not as a limitation on the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. Code bar mechanism comprising a fixed frame member, a plurality of spaced parallel code bars arranged for displacement in a certain plane, a plurality of selection levers cooperatively associated with said code bars, each of said levers comprising two separated main portions, each portion being perpendicular to said code bars, one of said portions being pivotally mounted on said frame member, the other of said portions having a first part adapted to cooperate with said code bars, bridging means for connecting both of portions to ether, each of said means extending substantially parallel with and interleaved among said code bars, each of said means in staggered relationship with the other, whereby to permit close disposition of said selection levers, each of said other portions having an actuation part.

2. Code bar mechanism comprising a fixed frame member, a plurality of parallel code bars arranged for relative parallel displacement. a plurality of selection levers each of said selection levers comprising a portion arran ed for pivotal movement about an axis substantially perpendicular to said code bars and parallel to the plane of movement thereof and a second portion spaced from said first portion by a distance suflicient to accommodate a first portion of a second lever and a second portion of a third lever therebetween, means bridging said portions to permit said secend portion to pivot about said axis each of said bridging means extending substantially parallel with and between clifierent of said code bars, said second portion including means cooperating with said code bars to permit movement of said second portion about said axis in accordance with a predetermined positional relationship among said code bars, and biasing means for biasing said last named means into cooperational relationship with said code bars.

3. In a mechanism actuated by a plurality of code bars arranged for relative parallel displacement, a plurality of levers arranged for selective operation in accordance with predetermined positional relationship between said code bars, eac. lever comprising a first portion, a second portion and a bridging portion mechanically bridging said first and second portions, said first and second portions being spaced in the direction of the code bars by a distance sufficient to accommodate a first portion of a second lever and a second portion of a third lever therebetween, each said bridging portion being arranged to extend substantially parallel with said code bars, diiierent of said bridging portions extending substantially parallel with and between different of code one of said first and second portions including means adapted to cooperate with said code bars to permit movement of said one portion in accordance with an arranged permutation among said code bars, means associated with each of said levers for urging such movement by said one portion and means for pivotally mounting the other portion about an axis substantially per pendicular to said code bars.

4. In a code bar system wherein a plurality of parallel code bars having detents adapted to be arranged in permutation, and wherein said bars are arranged for relative parallel displacement in a common plane, a lever assembly comprising spaced first and second portions and a bridging portion mechanically interconnecting said first and second portions, said first portion including means for pivoting said assembly about an axis substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of said code bars, said first and second portions being spaced by a suilicient distance to accommodate a corresponding first portion of a second lever assembly and a corresponding second portion of a third lever assembly therebetween, each of said bridging portions extending substantially parallel with and between different of said code bars in staggered relation, means associated with said second portion for cooperating with detents in the code bars to permit movement of said second portion upon a predetermined permutation among the code bars, and means for urging such movement.

5. In a code bar system, the combination in accordance with claim 4 in which said second portion of each assembly is provided with a pair of actuating arms rigidly affixed thereto and extending therefrom.

6. In a code bar system, the combination in accordance with claim 4 in which said bridging portion comprises two parallel rigid arms joining said first and second portions and at least one of said arms being interleaved in a space between two of the parallel code bars.

7. In a code bar system, the combination in accordance with claim 4 in which said first and second portions comprise flat plates, said plates being arranged in a common plane.

GEORGES XAVIER LENS.

References Cited in the file of this patent 

